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3 out of 5 stars
By
Mark
on
12-11-14
OK 60's coming-of-age story
This novel had the feel of a true life gritty memoir. It's about trying to fit in during tough high school years. It focuses on three misfit friends and a girlfriend of one. The protagonist deals with the guilt of surviving the death of a brother. Running track is his outlet. The time and place rang true, and as a guy who grew up in the same era, I can say that the author had the language of the times right. There is not too much of a plot line (making it more artsy...), with some themes running through it. You will probably guess the main theme early one, but I won't be a spoiler. The story never engaged me as a whole, yet I enjoyed many parts, and stayed to the end of this short novel.
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3 of 3 people found this review helpful
5 out of 5 stars
By
Thomas H. Adams
on
10-22-16
Great older narrator telling about a tough time
I started reading Brewster for a writing class, to understand how Slouka could seamlessly slip between the older narrator, looking back, and the younger narrator in the moment. To me Slouka is brilliant. Not just for creating an interesting narrative voice, but for creating vivid characters, with a strong sense of place.
It's a tough story told with care. Slouka is fair with his telling. Even the gritty scenes are done with care
His use of language and metaphor made me want to get better at writing.
And perhaps the most important, I cared about the characters. And there are quite a few.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful